


Baby Dear

by mpregharryqueen



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Louis Tomlinson, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bottom Harry, Bottom Harry Styles, Breastfeeding, Established Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Established Relationship, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson Mpreg, M/M, Male Lactation, Mpreg, Mpreg Harry, Omega Harry Styles, Top Louis, Top Louis Tomlinson, arguments over breastfeeding, mpreg Harry Styles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 12:20:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18916876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mpregharryqueen/pseuds/mpregharryqueen
Summary: Louis desperately wants to be a progressive, enlightened alpha but he also wants Harry to wean their two-year-old daughter from breastfeeding.Or, Harry and Louis argue about when is the proper time to wean a child.





	Baby Dear

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if you can think of warnings or tags you would prefer that I am unaware of. Thank you!

Harry snored beside him, shifting in his sleep and popping his neck involuntarily in the process. Louis cringed at the sound, as he had never been able to get used to his omega’s joint popping. He had an hour before his alarm would ring and he wanted to scream. Sleep hadn’t come to him much last night due to the amount of stress and anxiety he felt pressing against his chest. Not only was today his first day under a new boss, but he was hosting a dinner for said boss and colleagues tonight. Louis had been working at the marketing team for the Northeastern College Athletic Association Conference for fifteen years. It was the type of job that people moved around in. Louis had only stayed because he was happy here and he had fallen in love with someone who refused to move. He had met Harry two years after moving to Concord. He was working on a new social media ad for the conference and thus he had to work alongside another company that dealt more heavily with social media campaigns. 

Harry, who worked for the company, was the smartest person Louis had ever met. The omega had walked into the meeting with a strong confidence and Louis had nearly buckled at the smell of his scent. Harry, in turn, raised an eyebrow at Louis as though he dared him to mention his omega status in a professional setting. He had had to beg to take Harry out and Harry only accepted after their partnership was complete. Once Louis had finally won him over and Harry started allowing Louis to know him intimately Louis fell fast in love and hard. Harry was a rare beauty in this world and Louis treasured him the only way he had never cared for anything or anyone before. 

Now, as he lied in a pool of his own sweat he questioned why he had thought this was a good idea at all. Not only was he putting stress on himself but also Harry had been planning for this get together for a month after they had learned about the replacement. 

And the fact that Harry was the one who had planned the party was another source of anxiety for Louis. Louis had been feeling uncertain about their “roles” in this relationship ever since Harry had gotten pregnant with Essie two years ago. It was a guilt that not only subconsciously ate away at him but always made him feel like he was a domineering alpha. When they realized they were pregnant, Harry had promptly decided to quit his job so he could stay at home with Essie. Louis had begged him not to do it. He didn’t want Harry to ever resent him for giving up on a job he loved while Louis got to “have it all.” Louis had always had progressive beliefs about omegas being able to work and have children and be equals to their alphas. And that was part of the reason Harry and he had gotten along so well. But then Harry revealed that he had always wanted to be a stay-at-home parent and that he couldn’t imagine a life where he wasn’t available for his children twenty-four hours a day. The worst part was that Harry was amazing at it. He cooked for Louis, made his lunches everyday, and took care of Essie like a rockstar. He was perfect. 

Whenever Harry and Essie came to Louis’s office to bring him lunch or visit him during a break he wondered what the omegas in the office thought of him, the alpha who made his omega stay home and care for their child. It just didn’t _feel_ progressive. He had never told this to Harry, only ever asked if he was happy being at home to which Harry always replied that he was beyond happy. But was he really? 

“Mm…good morning,” Harry croaked as he stretched his arms above his head.

Louis sat up and turned his alarm off before it could blare loudly. Harry rubbed his back as he leaned over to put his watch on his wrist. When he turned back around to face Harry, the omega had spread his legs suggestively. 

“We have time,” Harry grinned as Louis groaned. 

Louis frowned, “I would love to but I’m too nervous about today. I think I’m going to go into work early.” 

“Take your stress out on me,” Harry spread his legs even further apart and how the hell did he manage to marry the one person who was ready for sex only two minutes after waking up? 

Louis was saved only by the sound of Essie’s tiny footsteps walking towards their bedroom. While they had finally gotten their toddler to sleep in her own bed (with protective railing, of course) Essie always woke up early so she could lie in their bed with Harry while Louis got ready for work. 

Harry closed his legs quickly and instead opened his arms for the toddler. She ran towards Harry as fast as her little legs could take her. Louis smiled as Harry placed her between them. As much as he wanted his daughter to be able to sleep on her own, it was still so sweet when she cuddled with them. 

“Good morning, Essie,” Louis kissed the top of her curly-haired head. 

Louis always called her his brown-haired Shirley Temple. However, she was much cuter than Shirley Temple, of course. 

“Mawning,” She mumbled before wrapping her arms around Louis. “Papa stay?” 

Louis pouted, “No, Lovebug, I have to go to work. But you’re going to help Daddy get ready for the party tonight, right?” 

Her frown quickly turned into a smile reminiscent of Harry’s, dimples and all, at the mention of the party. She was a two-year-old and like all two-year-olds, she wanted to do everything herself and take over whatever one was doing. She was two going on twenty. Just as the thought crossed Louis’ mind of how independent their little baby was, she crawled into Harry’s lap and began lifting his shirt. She closed her eyes when her mouth reached his nipple. 

And that. That was a problem. 

Louis had gently approached the subject with Harry on multiple occasions of how he thought it was time they weaned Essie. It was just that…when a child is old enough to open your shirt by herself, maybe it’s time they drink milk from a carton like everyone else. It wasn’t necessary and Harry, unashamed and unabashed, had no problem with her doing it in public. She was eating the same meals as them yet she still nursed.

The problem, in addition to her doing it whenever she felt like it, was that she had to do it every morning and right before bed which meant if Harry weren’t there to put her to bed she cried and had a fit until she exhausted herself. There had been quite a few nights where Harry had plans and hadn’t returned until late at night and Louis had spent half the night with a screaming Essie. It wasn’t practical and Essie didn’t _need_ it anymore. She already had the immune system of a self-medicated supervillain and bones as strong as Wonder Woman’s. 

Harry, however, insisted that it was healthy and normal for a toddler to still nurse but Louis knew it really because he was terrified of Essie growing up. He wanted her to stay a baby forever. And Louis feared Harry would be the omega who was still breastfeeding their five-year-old. It was better if Essie was weaned now and that was going to be hard enough as it was. As much as he loved Harry, he had created a problem that was going to be painful to fix. 

“I’m going to get in the shower,” Louis remarked as Essie continued to nurse and Harry wrapped his hair up in a bun. 

Harry smiled, “Okay, handsome. You’re going to impress her so much today.” 

The night of the party, everything was running smoothly. His boss, Andrea, was relaxed and kind as she chatted with everyone. His colleagues were having a great time and Harry had impressed with his superb cooking. Louis loved him so much. 

Harry finally took a break from his refilling of the plates and sat down on the table beside Louis. Andrea was talking to Louis about her recent trip to Nova Scotia and Harry, ever charming, eased into the conversation effortlessly. Louis was able to take a step back from the conversation and grab another meat pie as he spoke with his favorite colleague, Kyle. Kyle was an unmated alpha who planned on keeping it that way. He was full of unwanted advice and he always assumed that Louis’s sex life was unfulfilling and thus gave him unwarranted sex advice. As annoying as it was, Louis found him extremely likable. 

“Oh, Kyle, good grief,” Louis groaned as Kyle told him another story of a one nightstand incident he had had with an omega recently. 

As Kyle began to defend himself, Louis watched Essie climb into Harry’s lap. Louis couldn’t help but close his eyes nervously. Harry was still speaking to Andre eagerly and nonchalantly while Essie unbuttoned his floral shirt and then began suckling. Louis watched in horror as Andrea’s face revealed how uncomfortable she was. Harry remained oblivious as he wrapped his arms around Essie so she could rest in his arms. Eventually, Kyle even stopped talking to stare at Harry oddly. Louis wanted to simultaneously punch them both for judging his boy and shrink away in his own nervousness at the apparent discomfort of his boss. However, Louis knew tonight would be the night he told Harry as straightforward as he could that Essie didn’t need to be breastfed anymore. 

Andrea quickly bounced back once the shock wore off and she smiled graciously at Essie whose eyes wandered as she drank. Harry rocked her like a newborn and started telling Andrea about their most recent vacation to Chile in which they learned that Essie had a love for seafood. His head fell backward as he told her about how Louis couldn’t finish his bowl of paila marina so Essie ate the rest of it after having eaten her own. 

“She definitely has my appetite,” Harry giggled. 

Andrea replied quickly, “Oh, mine are constantly forcing me to restock my fridge. I think our grocery bill costs more than our rent.” 

Louis grabbed the paper plates and threw them into the garbage bag. Harry had gotten Essie to bed earlier than normal, as she was exhausted from the excitement of the day. Now, Louis watched as Harry put the leftover food in the fridge. He looked up and smiled when he noticed Louis staring. 

“Tonight went splendidly,” Harry closed the fridge and walked towards Louis, wrapping his arms around his neck. 

Louis nodded, “Yeah, I mean —” 

“She enjoyed your company a lot. You made a good impression,” Harry interrupted. 

Louis was already aggravated. He had been brewing over what he was going to tell Harry and Harry interrupting him only made it worse. And he was interrupting him to tell him how much fun his boss had had as though she hadn’t been visibly uncomfortable by Harry breastfeeding their toddler. 

“Yeah, no thanks to you,” Louis didn’t mean for it to come out. He cringed the second it was released. 

Harry backed away quickly and wrapped his arms around himself protectively. 

“What did I do wrong?” He whispered. 

Louis wanted to hold him but he had to have this talk, “It’s just…when you let Essie breastfeed in front of everyone. It’s bad enough that a two-year-old is still breastfeeding but you didn’t even take her to our bedroom.” 

“Well, it’s our house. It’s _her_ house and she wanted—” 

“Harry, when are you going to wean her? She’s going to be in preschool soon and she’ll be the only kid—” 

“I’m sorry we’re such an embarrassment for you,” Harry huffed. 

“Would you stop interrupting me?” Louis snapped. 

“You just interrupted me!” 

“Look, Harry…. it’s got to stop. Now. As your alpha, I am telling you that tomorrow you have to start weaning her. No more excuses.” 

Harry scoffed, “Oh, fuck you.” 

He walked away from Louis and headed towards the stairs before turning around to face Louis once more, “You can finish cleaning this up yourself. Because I’m sure as hell not going to do it.” 

When Louis finally made it upstairs he passed by the guest bedroom to find both Harry and Essie asleep in the bed. Louis figured he would be sleeping alone tonight. 

“It’s just… I know what I did was wrong. I shouldn’t have said what I said but I still stand by the fact that Essie needs to be weaned,” Louis explained to Kyle over his leftover meat pies. 

Without missing a beat, Kyle responded, “Hey, I have an idea.” Kyle spoke with his mouth full of mashed potatoes. He was what Harry would call an “unrefined alpha.” 

Louis wasn’t sure what kind of advice Kyle could give as he was both unmated and childless but he nodded anyways. He was curious. 

Kyle swallowed and took a sip from his can of coke, “Why don’t you breed him again? He’ll have another pup to feed and Essie’ll probably think she’s too cool to do it if her younger sibling is doing it.”

“Kyle, Harry is a human being,” Louis chastised. “I don’t ‘breed’ him.” 

“Your Harry must be a difficult one. Most omegas I’ve slept with love being talked about like that. It turns on their inner omega,” Kyle “explained,” “And they beg you to fuck them harder.” 

Louis rolled his eyes, “What an omega says in the heat of sex does not mean they want that practiced in their everyday lives.” 

“So he does want it dirty and rough,” Kyle nodded. “I knew he was wild with his whole hippie, organic persona.” 

Louis groaned. 

“But…well, I’ll give you last night as an example. Most of the time, when we are having sex, Harry begs me to dom him. I mean, he wants me to take complete control and treat him like a ragdoll.” 

“Hot,” Kyle commented. 

Louis ignored him and continued, “But last night, when I told him as his alpha I was demanding that he stop breastfeeding Essie —” 

“Good for you.” 

Louis rolled his eyes again at him, “No, I’m saying what I did was wrong and he was furious with me.” 

“Wait…why haven’t you demanded this in bed? When you have him subdued?” 

“I’ve told you way too much,” Louis sighed, “Please don’t ever mention any of this to Harry.” 

“I’m just saying, man, you are way too ashamed of your alpha instincts and I think it would do you and Harry good for you to express them more freely,” Kyle winked. 

“For the love of…just shut up,” Louis stood up and rinsed his container out in the sink. This may be the last lunch he takes with Kyle. 

“Remember, I won’t be here Monday and Tuesday. My rut’s supposed to start tomorrow. Louis groaned as Kyle wooted. He couldn't wait to be out of the office. 

Louis walked into the house cautiously. Harry and he hadn’t spoken since the incident and he wasn’t sure what he was walking into. He could hear Essie playing with her legos in the living room but he couldn’t hear Harry. When he finally reached the living room he saw Meredith, Harry’s mother, sitting on the floor with Essie. She was helping her build a makeshift castle. 

“Hi, Meredith,” Louis greeted. 

She looked up at him coldly before returning her attention to Essie. Meredith and Louis had always gotten along famously so Louis knew exactly why she was angry with him. He coughed awkwardly and walked towards the kitchen where Harry was banging pots and pulling jars out of cabinets sporadically. 

Louis placed his briefcase on the counter and walked towards Harry, “Baby, why are you cooking? We still have leftovers.” 

Harry sighed, “It doesn’t matter. That food is tainted with negative energy now.” 

When Louis thought it was over, Harry dramatically sighed again, “And…I need more food to feed Essie since she’s going to be starved now.” 

“Haz,” Louis whispered, “Can we talk about last night?” 

Harry smashed a garlic clove with his knife and ignored him. Louis could hear Essie’s giggles and the sound of a Meredith pretending to scream in horror at the sound of the toys crashing. Essie quickly began running towards the kitchen. Louis knew she would be intent on telling her parents this exciting information. 

She pointed her finger seriously and stated with wide-eyes, “It crash!” 

She then erupted into a fit of giggles and Harry and Louis both couldn’t help but want to give her a million kisses. So Louis lifted her in his arms to smooch her face. He loved their little tasmanian devil. He handed her off to Harry when she begged for her “da-da.” 

Meredyth entered the kitchen and smiled at Harry and Essie, “Do you still need me to take the bugger during the day? Don’t worry, she’ll be back before bedtime.” 

Meredyth had never before confirmed that Harry and Louis needed her to watched Essie during their heat-ruts. She had always just known, so Louis knew that the anger Harry and Meredyth felt towards him was deep. But how was Louis the only bad guy here? 

“I suppose,” Harry sighed. 

When was Harry not the most dramatic person Louis had ever encountered? 

“Thanks, Meredyth,” Louis was trying to suck-up in the most subtle way possible. Well, the subtlest he could be. 

Harry put Essie down and she ran back towards her toys in the living room, “Mom, will you stay for dinner? I can call dad to come over as well.” 

“Oh, dear, I would love to but your father is cooking a brisket and he’s oh so proud of it,” Meredyth laughed. 

“Alright, well, give him a kiss for me and Essie,” Harry hugged his mother tightly. 

She kissed Harry’s cheek and gave his bum a pat, “I’ll be here early tomorrow to take her to the zoo —” 

“No, mother, not the zoo! We aren’t raising our daughter to think putting animals in prison is morally acceptable,” Harry cried. 

Meredyth simply rolled her eyes in response. 

“Take her to the wolf sanctuary,” Harry recommended as he proceeded to mince the garlic. 

Louis waited until Meredyth was saying goodbye to Essie before he turned to Harry again. 

“We have got to talk about this. I want to apologize,” Louis moved towards the fridge and grabbed a beer out of the bottom drawer. 

He continued, “I know what I did was wrong. I should have never used the fact that I am an alpha against you.” 

“But you did. And you were really mean,” Harry’s voice broke as placed his knife down. 

“I know I was and it wasn’t fair,” Louis took a sip before offering the bottle to Harry who quietly rejected the offer. “It’s just that…Harry, I’ve been trying to tell you that it was time to wean Essie. She’s too old and she doesn’t need it anymore.” 

Harry took a deep breath, “Louis, it’s my body and I get to decide. I’m going to let Essie wean herself. Do you understand me?” 

“Harry, when she goes to pre-school —” 

“Screw what anyone thinks or says, Louis. I don’t care. I don’t care if I made your co-workers uncomfortable because I was breastfeeding my child in my house.” 

“Bab—” 

“And if I embarrass you so much, then maybe I won’t be helping you host any more guests in our home. You can take them out to dinner and Essie and I will stay home.” 

“I’m not embarrassed of you,” Louis shook his head sadly. 

“Then what was that anger about last night? You thought I had ruined the party because I breastfed my child?” 

“Essie is my child too,” Louis remarked. 

“When Essie is ready to wean, she will. You know how strong willed she is. And I know you’re my alpha and I _love_ that but that doesn’t mean you get to make the final decisions.” 

Louis nodded, “I know that. I don’t have an excuse. I just…” 

A silence fell between them as Louis looked upon Harry. He felt the need to reach out again but he knew he needed to explicitly tell Harry that for a long time, a part of him had been battling with himself. A constant cycle of censoring himself and his thoughts. In an attempt to be the best mate, an alpha who didn’t use his power to his advantage, Louis had forgotten himself along the way. When he tried to prove how sensitive and compassionate he was, he in turn had turned into some robotic form of himself that committed the most uncompassionate act. Maybe he finally just needed to free himself from his constant policing. Their relationship was no one’s business but their own. They didn’t have to live up to any archaic ideal or a progressive, postmodern ideal either. They just needed to be themselves. 

“What’s ironic about all of this is that I committed my worst fear,” Louis fiddled with the empty mason jar. 

Harry stopped his stirring to look at Louis, “What do you mean?” 

“I’ve been feeling guilty for so long about that fact that you have to stay home and I get to work at a job that I love.” 

“Louis, I don’t have to stay home all day. I choose to and I love it. I love getting to spend all day with Essie. She’s a blast,” Harry smiled. “How long have you been feeling this way?” 

“Since you quit your job,” Louis replied sheepishly. 

“Louis Tomlinson, you’ve been hiding this guilt from me for two fucking years?” Harry gasped. 

“Lou, I didn’t even like working in an office that much. The job was nice but I was either spending all day in a cubicle or sitting in meetings and driving from here to there. When I’m home, I get to spend all day doing the things that I love. Look at how amazing our garden is!” Harry flailed his hand towards their backyard. “I didn’t have time to grow anything while I was working. It’s just one of the many reasons I love being home.” 

“Then why didn’t you quit after we bonded? Why did you wait until you got pregnant?” Louis asked skeptically. 

Harry chuckled, “Because I felt guilty. I was worried you would think I expected you to carry the burden of finances. Then, when I finally got pregnant, I didn’t feel guilty anymore because it seemed justified to quit.” 

Louis laughed loudly. His shoulders relaxing as he smiled at Harry, “I think the amount of silent guilt we have been internalizing and keeping from each other warrants couples therapy.” 

Harry sighed happily, “Let’s not do this again. If we’re feeling guilty about anything, we need to talk to each other.” 

“Agreed,” Louis moved towards Harry and wrapped his arms around his waist, giving him a sweet kiss. 

Harry kissed him back fervently before breaking apart, “But, you still did a really shitty thing last night.” 

“I know. I know. I don’t know why it’s worried me so much I just… I want Essie to be as developmentally on track as possible,” Louis rubbed Harry’s lower back affectionately. 

“Louis, I researched breastfeeding extensively. In some cultures, children aren’t weaned until they’re five years old,” Harry explained. “And they said it’s for the carrier and child to decide when they are finished nursing. I want Essie to decide when she’s done.” 

“Okay… alright. You’re right. That’s fair,” Louis nodded. 

“Do you really mean it?” Harry giggled as Louis began mouthing at his neck. 

“Yes, I’m positive,” Louis moaned. 

Harry kissed him once more before telling him he needed to finish dinner and that Louis needed to play with Essie. Which Louis never had to be told twice to spend time with his daughter, so he happily changed into his “comfie” clothes and joined Essie on the floor to play with her array of legos Harry insisted on buying every time he went to a department store. 

“Alright, my loves, dinner is ready,” Harry called from the kitchen as he set the dishes down on the table. 

Essie stood up excitedly and walked towards Harry to inspect his craftsmanship. 

“Now, Essie, listen to daddy, you can’t feed yourself spaghetti so you’re going to have to let Papa or me feed you, okay?” The second Essie processed what Harry had said she was pouting. 

Essie was attempting to be as independent as possible. Harry and Louis encouraged her whole-heartedly, well, Louis encouraged it more so than Harry, but there was still a lot of stuff she was absolutely not to do on her own. Harry always re-brushed her teeth after she had given it a go and missed about half of her teeth. And they let her feed herself as long as the food wasn’t messy. However, she was always willing to fight for her right to do everything herself. 

Which is why when Louis moved the fork of spaghetti towards her after having cooled it down with several blows, she slapped his hand away and growled. 

“Essie! Violence is never okay! We are pacifists,” Harry chastised before offering to take over the duty of feeding her. 

“You feed her all day, let me take care of her,” Louis looked down at his daughter lovingly before offering her the fork. 

Harry groaned, “Lou —” 

“Alright, Es, how about we both hold the fork, okay?” Louis offered her a section of the handle. She stared at it skeptically before smiling at her Papa and helping him hold the fork. 

“You’re amazing,” Harry gushed as he scarfed down his own food. 

Louis’s rut started the next morning with a vengeance. The second Essie was in her grandmother’s car and Harry had joined him in bed, he was pulling Harry’s pajama bottoms down and promptly placing his face between Harry’s cheeks. He ate him out until his omega had slick leaking out of him. Harry moaned and begged and Louis was more than willing to eat him raw but he also wanted to satisfy his impending knot. He asked permission before he pushed his middle finger past Harry’s rim. Louis quickly added another one at Harry’s request and began stretching his husband out. 

“You’re so fucking beautiful, Haz,” Louis complemented. “Prettiest person in the world.” 

Harry didn’t respond but Louis interpreted his sudden clenching as confirmation that he had heard Louis’ praise and he very much appreciated it. Louis knew he needed to thrust harder but he wasn’t sure how it was possible as Harry wasn’t responding well to anything but hard thrusts. 

The other problem was…well, the other problem was that Harry’s heat hadn’t started yet and that was strange. Ever since they bonded their rut and heat had matched up perfectly. There might be an hour difference, but never more than that. For Harry to not have already started was concerning for Louis. And Louis didn’t want to worry Harry but during Harry’s heats he always left large wet stains on their sheets because he slicked so profusely. When they moved in together, Harry admitted to him in a whisper that he during his heats he wore _“incontinence underwear”_ at night because he slicked more than average and he didn’t want his bed soaked. 

When Harry got pregnant with Essie, he had been desperately waiting for signs of pregnancy. He had been throwing up in the mornings and he was utterly grateful when his heat didn’t arrive. However, now, this was unexpected. Harry shifted in bed slowly as though all of this was going through his head as well and he was processing it. He stood up slowly, his legs shaking as he pulled up his underwear. 

“Would you like a coffee?” Harry asked briskly. 

Louis leaned on his arm as he stared at Harry nervously, “Baby…” 

“No, it’s just that…I’ve been suspecting it for a few weeks. Something just felt different and if I’m being honest I really don’t… want to be,” Harry’s voice dimmed the longer he spoke. 

Louis was a little shocked. If only because Harry’s dream had always been to have children and he knew they had never planned on only having one. But Harry needed to know that Louis supported him, no matter what. 

“Haz, if you don’t want this…it’s your decision, you know that, right?” Louis leaned forward to rub Harry’s back. He still wasn’t facing Louis. 

Harry shook his head earnestly and even though Louis couldn’t see him he knew he was crying, “It’s not that. I just. I don’t think Essie is ready to be a big sister and how on earth could I ever love another baby as much as I love her? What if I don’t?” 

“That’s not how it works, Harry. You’re not like that. You won’t be one of those godforsaken parents who has a doting favorite and screws up our other children,” Louis comforted. 

“But what if I am?” 

“I promise you, you won’t be. And listen, Essie will get over it and be the best big sister that ever was. Besides, she will love getting to boss someone else around,” Louis laughed. 

Harry wiped at his face and chuckled. Essie was a handful all right, “I guess I’m being ridiculous. I don’t even know if I’m really pregnant.” 

“Why don’t you go to the doctor in a few days and until then, let’s not even think about it,” Louis said as he felt himself grow harder. Having such a serious discussion during his rut was not at all ideal. 

Harry let out a laugh as his bright eyes looked upon Louis’s dilemma. He continued to walk towards the bedroom door, “I’m still getting a coffee so don’t get too excited.” 

_____________ 

Louis grabbed his bagged lunch as Harry tied a new purple floral bonnet around Essie’s very unhappy head. Louis would say something about Harry forcing his aesthetic on their daughter but he could tell by Harry’s nerves that he wouldn’t be in the mood for anything humorous. He was staring into Louis’s eyes in a way that made Louis feel as though Harry could read his inner thoughts. It was the same deep stare Harry had given them all of those years ago when they took a spontaneous Friday and Monday off and had driven to Cape Cod in the middle of winter. They had rented a house on the shore and the older man who owned the home let them stay there for a mere $20 a night simply because he thought they were insane. 

On their last night there Harry had begged Louis to take a walk on a seaside trail. At one point, the freezing wind had gotten stronger and they were both pink-faced and chapped-lipped. They were jumping and laughing at the insanity of their decision to walk by the ocean in freezing weather. Harry was laughing as his hair whipped across his face and he stared at Louis with so much love that Louis knew he couldn’t walk away from this moment without proposing. Louis had been carrying the ring with him everywhere he went, wanting to be able to propose at the right moment. And that was his moment. 

“Call me when the results are in,” Louis kissed Harry as he walked towards the front door, “If I don’t answer that means I’m still in that meeting with Michael Price.” 

Harry nodded as he shifted Essie to his hip. Louis could tell that Harry was nervous by the way he was clutching Essie as if she were slipping through his arms. 

___________________________ 

Louis had just reached his office when his phone began ringing. The meeting had been agreeable and short. Michael never talked more than necessary and Louis appreciated his brevity. He ran towards his phone and picked it up as he knocked over his water bottle, “Shit...I mean hell-o?” 

“Is everything okay?” Harry asked as Essie jeered something nonsensical in the background. 

“What? Oh, yeah...yeah just spilled my water,” Louis sighed as he patted his desk with napkins from his Chinese takeout from two weeks ago, “...so…? How did it go?” 

“I’m almost three months along,” Harry laughed. 

“Oh? Oh…,” Louis smiled as he sat down. “Where are you now?” 

“Listen, I was thinking about naming our baby Romy or Rooney?” 

“Um...alright?” Louis chuckled. “Those names are nice.” 

“I thought so too. I’ll see you at home?” Harry mumbled as, from according to the distant sounds, he was turning around to take something from Essie. 

“I’ll see you at home,” Louis confirmed. 

______________ 

Louis was welcomed home to the smell of curry and Essie playing with wooden needles and a bundle of yarn. He kissed the top of her head to try and stop himself from laughing at her chubby hands navigating the wooden needles gracelessly. 

“What’s with the new hobby?” Louis laughed as he entered the kitchen. 

Harry startled before quickly wrapping his arms around Louis’s neck and kissing him softly. 

“You know the Knot Shop? The one across from the doctors? Well, I thought ‘why don’t I go ahead and check it out?’” Harry spoke with his mouth full of carrot. 

“Alright,” Louis nodded, thinking that was the end of the story. 

“So, Essie and I go in there and they tell us that they have parent-child classes where they teach both of us how to crochet and I just signed us for them.” 

“That’ll be fun ——” 

“And then I realized that I can learn and make all of our babies’ clothes? I’ll know exactly how they were made, what’s in them, and they’ll be made by me,” Harry interrupted. 

Louis wanted to laugh simply for the fact that Harry has always only bought their clothes without dyes and made sure that Essie was dressed in the most ethical way possible. 

“You’re amazing, you know that? Best fucking parent alive,” Louis inched closer to Harry where he could press his chest against his back and rub his stomach. 

Harry mewled and turned around to burrow his head in Louis’s neck. They sat like this in silence for several minutes. The only sounds they could hear were the bubbling curry and Essie’s needles thumping against one another. 

“Are you okay?” Louis wanted to make sure that Harry wasn’t doing this for him. Although, he had already learned that he needed to stop thinking Harry did everything for him. 

Harry nodded, “When I saw the baby, I fell in love. It’s my baby.” 

Louis grinned. 

“Alright, go on and say it,” Harry smirked. 

“Say what?” Louis laughed. 

“What your inner alpha wants to say.” 

“ _Oh_ , well, you’re just full of my baby and you’re even more perfect than usual that way.” 

“That’s what I thought,” Harry rolled his eyes playfully. 

Life for them would go on as it always did. Louis knew that. In the quiet moments when Essie first woke up and ran to their bedroom. In the way Harry always made dinner family centered and without any discussion of work. Harry was perfect. Always. And he deserved as much love as he could possibly be given. Along with their little Essie and the new baby, whom Louis loved more than he knew what to do with himself. Everything he did was for them. 

**Author's Note:**

> I am currently working on two fics: One is an mpreg Star Wars Au and the other is a 1950s AU. Please let me know if you are interested in reading them and I will post them on here. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this fic.
> 
>  
> 
> my tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mpregharryqueen


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